somewhere || George Russell

thirty-seven

December 13, 2019
New York City, New York

"God, that's crazy," Richard muttered, watching the view of a bunch of people outside of their stage door.

"Did you practice your autograph?" Laurel asked him and turned around to see him.

"No," Richard giggled. "You?"

"Of course," she nodded. 

They dove into the crowd, as everyone started to ask them for pictures and autographs in the booklet of the show.

Laurel and Richard were living their best life, even answering those awkward questions of people still wanting to know if they were dating.

Then they just opened the stage door and went upstairs to their dressing rooms, excited of what happened.

"I can believe it," Richard said with a smile on his face.

"I know," Laurel replied, entering to her dressing room.

Richard entered with her, avoiding his own room, and took a seat on her couch. Laurel started to tell him the story of what happened yesterday when she and George were sitting in Little Italy, and the girl whose flash popped out in her face. At the end, the girl turned out to be a Formula One fan, who was shy to ask George for a picture but at the end took a picture with him, and incidentally found out about George's new girlfriend.

"I mean, it was creepy that she was just there taking pictures of us instead of asking George for a picture," Laurel frowned and pursed her lips. "Anyway, I would never understand it."

"But you never really tried to hide that you are dating, did you?" Richard asked.

Laurel shook her head. "No," she frowned. "I mean, what is the point of having a relationship if you are going to hide it?"

"Look at that," Richard smiled, nudging her. "I would've never imagined you being in love."

"Don't give me that," she tilted her head.

"It's just that you are so hard to hold on to," he said. Laurel nodded. "Maybe he is just one of those magical people."

"That doesn't make any sense," Laurel shook her head. "The truth is his world is a lot better than the one I had," she slightly nodded. "If that can make sense."

"Yes, that makes a lot of sense," Richard nodded, confidently. "And you seem to be happier."

"Do you think is worth it?"

"What?"

"To have your own happiness so contingent on another person."

"Sometimes," Richard shrugged. "You said it yourself. His world is a lot better than the one you had."

"Yes," she smiled. "George sees the world not as it is, but as it should be," she sighed. "And I am starting to believe that the world is a lot better than I think it is. Because of him, I started to see the world differently, and I opened my mind to more than just what I knew."

"You suddenly stopped complaining about how cold and damp New York is," he chuckled.

"I still think is cold and damp, but now I also think is more..."

"Magical?" Richard wiggled his eyebrows.

"No," Laurel frowned. "Magic doesn't exist."

"Let me explain it to you..."

"I am not going to be mansplained about something as irrational as magic," Laurel shook her head.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your deep conversation," Gemma said, standing in the frame of the door. "But let's go out, we'll sing before we start the show."

●●●

"There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us," Richard sang in the stage as Tony, "peace and quiet and open air, wait for us somewhere."

The best Laurel and Richard could do was to become friends to make sure they were no feelings in between, just to perform as the friends they are to please the crowd, something they do since the beginning of the previews a few days ago.

"There's a time for us, someday a time for us, time together with time to spare," Laurel emotionally sang, "time to learn, time to care, someday..."

George smiled in the seats of the crowd, just watching her girlfriend do what she loves the most. Is the second time he comes to watch her perform, and he would probably never get tired of doing it. He always had confidence in her being incredibly talented, but now he has no doubts, after watching her perform twice. Suddenly, Somewhere from West Side Story seems a much perfect song than Come what may from Moulin Rouge.

"Somewhere," Richard continued, "we'll find a new way of living..."

"We'll find a way of forgiving...somewhere...."

"There's a place for us, a time and a place for us, hold my hand and we're halfway there, hold my hand and I'll take you there..." Laurel and Richard held each other's hands on the stage, "somehow, someday, somewhere..."

Richard cupped Laurel's face in his hands and leaned to her, ready to fake-kiss her. When Laurel said that she has to kiss him eight shows a week, she didn't mean literally. Or maybe she did, but back then she didn't have a boyfriend to kiss for real, and now that she does, she doesn't want to kiss anyone else. Just George.

And even though they know they'll have to face long-distance, for sure they'll find a time and place for them, somewhere.